First Build RSA IB-5

[christoboucher]

Hello Everyone.

I have already started my first Guitar Build. I ordered two kits from pitbull Guitars, the IB-5 and AGB-30 and started the IB-5 Build.

Have done a semi mock build to check that everything is there and to get familiar with the parts, where they go and how they fit together.

I have positioned the Tuners the way I like them, angled a bit forward, similar to how the Warwick Rock Bass' tuners are arranged.

I used a 2mm drill bit to drill the holes and mounted them to check that they are good.

In hindsite I think I should have used a 1mm drill bit but they seem to have enough meat in the hole to be study. I not, I will fill the holes with Wood glue and saw dust to make the screws tighter.

I am a little worried about the way I mounted the Neck in he neck pocket. The neck sits a little loose but I put the neck screw into the holes in the body with them sticking out about a mill or two. I pushed the neck into the pocket toward the pickup cavity and then down onto the screws marking where the holes need to be drilled.

Removed the neck from the body again and drilled the the 4 holes where the neck screws had made their mark.Drilled with a 3 mill drill bit. Then screw the neck on.

The screws went in with out a problem.Did not tighten them fully yet and I don't want the holes in the Neck to be made too loose for the final "screw together".

I mounted the neck like this so that I could measure to where the bridge would need to be placed without the neck moving and causing my measurements to be out.

I did not do the messurements using string from the nut to a known square point on the body to ensure the neck is square. I will still do that but hope no adjustments will be necessary.

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[Simon Barden]

The tuner screws are there to stop it twisting. They are mainly held in place by the bolt-down screw on the top, so they only need to prevent sideways movement, and only really need enough purchase to stop themselves falling out. As you are starting from new, though, I'd be tempted to fill with glue and sawdust or a wooden cocktail stick and redrill a slightly smaller hole. The kit tuner screws are generally made form very weak alloy, so you don't want to go too small a hole. If you've got a 1.5mm drill, then I'd use that. Try fitting the screws without the tuners in place first, and don't drive them all the way in, so that if a screw head does break off, then you should still have some thread to grip with pliers. I'd recommend looking to see if you can get some better replacements to begin with as the cross-slots will round off very quickly in those kit screw heads.

You may need to enlarge the neck mounting holes in the body. The screws should just fit through the holes without binding at all, and you certainly shouldn't have to screw them through the holes (relative hole size varies from kit to kit so you may not have to do this with yours). This allows the screws to fully pull the neck down into the pocket. If the screw has to also screw through the body, then the screw may stop turning before the neck is fully pulled down.

I don't know what sort of finish you are thinking for the neck, but any acrylic, poly, nitro or TruOil-style coating applied to the sides of the neck will make it wider and fit more snugly in the pocket. You don't want it super-tight to begin with, otherwise you'll never get it in the pocket when it's got finish on!

If the neck is very slightly loose in the pocket, then you can help get the strings running true down the neck by pulling left or right on the neck as you tighten the mounting screws up. You can often get a degree or two of adjustment, which is normally enough to get you sorted.

[christoboucher]

Thanx for the advice Simon.

I did find that the screw for the neck did not glide through the holes in body and thought to open them up slightly but have not as yet. I will most certainly open the holes up as suggested as the neck will be removed and remounted during the build process.

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[christoboucher]

... back to build details...

I noticed with this kit, the control cavity did not have a ridge routed for the cover to recess into. I thought that having it recessed would be much better so, I decided to create a recess for the cover to sit in.

Not having a router, I would be doing this by hand with a chisel. Quite a daunting task considering my lack of experience with a chisel.

Marked the outline for where the plate is going to be and scored the outline with a box cutter knife. (would love to have a scalpel but can't seem to find any) This is to minimise tearout from the chisel. Worked methodically to chisel out the recess and the used a mouse sander to smooth the recess.

There was some chips and tearout on the outside of the recess that I need to figure out how to fix and make look better. To do however want to replace with plastic cover with a wood cover so could enlarge the recess a bit and make the wood cover slightly bigger and be extra carefull with the chisel.

Started sanding all the guitar surfaces bar the fretboard. Tried sanding with the mouse sander and with a random orbital sander but with the curves and contours, sanding by hand, with and without a sanding block, seemed to be work better.

This kit does not have a vanier on it so don't need to be to carefull when sanding.

Started off with Grit 120 sand paper, moved up to 240 and then sanded with 300 grit. Running my hand over the surface to feel for rough spots and then touch up sanding where needed.

I then rubbed the surface down the a slightly damp cloth to bring out the grain and let the wood dry in the sun.

When dry, re-sanded with the 300 grit sand paper ensure the surfaces were all smooth.

Mounted the neck loosely and meaured for the bridge placement.

This is a 34" scale guitar, this converts to 863,6 mm.

Measured the width of the neck at the 1st fret with my cheap calipers, divided that to get the middle and marked the middle of the neck on a piece of masking tape placed on the fret board.

Did the same at the 12th fret. This gave me 2 points of reference to get the centre line for the body.

Placed masking tape on the body to draw the centre line. This centre line also gave me the placement for the strap button.

Placed my 1 metre straight edge on the fret board, pushed up against the nut and lined up with centre marks at the 1st and 12th fret. Measured out the 863,6 mm and maked the scale length on masking tape where the bridge would go.

I am still a little unsure on where to actually place the bridge, I have not yet drilled any holes for the bridge mounting.

The sadles are still as they were when they arrived in the kit with the sadle for the high string (G) is the furtherest forward (closest to the neck) and the other sadles gradually stepping back to the low string (B).

There is still a bit if of screw adjustment for each sadle forward and back.

I assumed that I would leave the sadles where they are and place the bridge with the scale length line in the middle of the where the sadles are currently on the bridge.
When setting the intenation, I would still have adjustment forward and back on the sadle to compensate and get the intenation right.

Don't know if this is best practise and what the best placement technique is.....

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[christoboucher]

Been wondering about the orientation of the pickups.

The kit comes with two 4 wire humbucker pickups. The wire coming out of the pickup is in one corner. The wire is quite long so I was planning on mounting the pickups with the wire at the top of the pickup cavity, but then wondered if the pickup should be mounted in a specify orientation where one side of the pickup would be better for "picking up" the bass strings vs the trebble strings, etc.

Or can the pickups be mounted either way?

Thanx for your assistance and advice. make the process alot easier when someone in the know gives their input,

Thanx again.

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[Simon Barden]

I'd move the G saddle forwards (towards the neck) so there's a couple of mm of thread poking out (it may well be in that position already). The G string will always intonate furthest forwards, and it will probably end up a couple of mm back from the scale length position once intonated (if there were kit strings supplied only use these for basic set up checking, fit some decent strings before intonating as those cheap strings are so inconsistent in sound and diameter along their length).

So if the saddles are too far back when you measure the scale length, then you quickly run out of movement for the bass strings.

And measure the scale length from the neck side of the G string nut slot to the mid-point of the G saddle, the point where the string will leave the saddle.

In the kit photo, the B,E and A string intonation screws are shorter D and G screws, just because their saddles will end up further back when intonated.

If you are going to use the pickups as humbuckers and aren't doing anything fancy with them like add series/parallel/split switches, then it doesn't matter which way round they go at all. The only time it will have any effect is if you fit a coil split switch, in which case the pickup orientation will determine whether the single coil is nearer the neck or the bridge. It's a small distance and won't make any real difference to the sound, but some people are fussy over these things. However, I have no idea quite how you'd tell except by empirical testing. There aren't any pole pieces to tap with a screwdriver to see which coil is working, and with that plastic cover, I don't know if tapping over where the pole pieces should be would give a clear enough sound to tell with accuracy.

[Barry snook]

you may want to upgrade the bridge before you install, My IB-4 bridge was terrible, you cannot get a decent action when setting up, i went with a schaller 3d-4. Its night and day and really makes the difference in playability

[christoboucher]

you may want to upgrade the bridge before you install, My IB-4 bridge was terrible, you cannot get a decent action when setting up, i went with a schaller 3d-4. Its night and day and really makes the difference in playability

Thanx for the advice Barry. I would love to upgrade the bridge, but the cost of the Schaller is more than the cost of the kit.

Being my 1st build, getting it together and setup at least playable with an OK setup would be an achievement to me.

Having said that, I am taking care to try and make it the best it can be.

Do appreciate the advice thow. Thanx a mill.

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[christoboucher]

I have started leveling frets but have a few questions.

Please see post: https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...d.php?p=213078

Not sure where the best place to post those types of questions.

Please can someone advise me.

Thanx in advance.
Christo

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[christoboucher]

I've been getting frustrated with the fret leveling as the sandpaper I am using seems to go smooth very quick.

And them I'm not sure if I'm taking too much off, etc.

So I decided to move onto something I know and am good at, the wiring and soldering.

I got the wiring diagram from the Pitbill sire for the IB-5 for two humbuckers, two tone pots and two volume pots.

The kit came with two A500K pots, volume, and 2 B500K pots, tone.

1 of the volume pots has a click when you turn it fully counter clockwise. Used that for Bridge Volume.

I have attached photos of the wiring. If someone could take a look and tell me if I'm on the right path.

Orange = output jack earth
White = output jack hot
Black = Bridge earth

The Output jack and picks will be soldered when installing everything on final.

Thanx for your input.

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